Before and After
by xNightWhispers
Summary: An Addek story. Derek reflects on the years that he spent together with Addison. He recalls many memories, both positive and negative, of their marriage, from the beginning of their relationship up until the very end.
1. Chapter 1

The church looked simply beautiful that day. All of the stained glass windows flaunted vibrant colors, and were brightly illuminated with the sunlight pouring through them. There were numerous bouquets of flowers strewn about the front of the church, near the altar.

The people, however, were quite the opposite of the sunshine and happiness of the day. All of the hospital staff both looked and felt somber. Every single one of them wore black, and many were crying. The entire hospital was there, from every scrub nurse to the chief of surgery.

About halfway through the service, after the priest had finished, he asked if anyone had any other words they would like to add. Everyone remained seated; what could they say without crying or sounding too general? Everyone knew what an incredible surgeon she was. She was compassionate, kind, caring, beautiful, funny, witty, and just about everything else imaginable. She was determined and headstrong, too clever, and had definite charm and cunning to win people over. Everyone was at a loss for words that could describe the woman that mostly everyone loved.

Finally, the person she had loved the most stood up, walked to the altar, and took a deep breath. He knew exactly what to say. He had been planning this speech for the past two weeks.

To prepare, he had thought about her more than he ever had. Looking back at the years he had spent with her, all of the memories came flooding back to him, one at a time, from the most random little thing to the saddest experience they had had to face. Over the years, they had gone through a lot together. He had never thought he would be speaking at her funeral this early. He had expected them to grow old together, perhaps travel the world together, but most of all, to simply experience all that life had to offer for them together. They had loved each other so much. Now, he had to talk about his beloved. As he stepped up to the podium, the memories began reeling through his mind once more.


	2. Chapter 2

The memory of their wedding hit him right in the face. So many images flooded Derek's mind…Addison in her wedding dress, how nervous he had been, how stupid he thought he looked in his tux. He remembered Mark, the best man, standing next to him proudly at the front of the church. Derek was eagerly anticipating Addison. As soon as she walked out, his heart skipped a beat. All of his fear and anticipation vanished. There were no words to describe how Addison looked; they all seemed too mild. The ones that instantly came to Derek's mind were radiant, gorgeous, and breathtakingly beautiful. But those didn't cut it; she was far too striking at the moment to describe. The dress was snowy white, and probably cost Addie a fortune to rent. Derek could see the dress was studded with tiny glittering diamonds. The sheer veil also had diamonds, and hid her face well, so the only thing he could see was Addie's cool and confident smile. It seemed like she took an eternity to walk down the aisle, but Derek didn't care; he was willing to wait that long for her if that was what it took. At that moment, at the front of the church, Derek couldn't believe it. This gorgeous, poised, confident, and charming woman was all his. When Addison arrived at the front next to Derek, he lifted the veil. Addie's grey-green eyes, done up with soft makeup, were brimming with tears, yet she still had her trademark little smile on her face. Derek smiled back at her, and felt his eyes begin to well up. _Shit,_ he thought to himself. _Don't cry. Not now. Not in front of her. Be a man for her. She's all that matters now; her, her, her. _

"We are all gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of Derek Christopher Shepherd and Addison Adrienne Forbes Montgomery," the priest interrupted Derek's thoughts. "If anyone has a valid reason why these two should not be married…"

Then it came time for the vows to be exchanged. Derek had been nervously anticipating this most of all. "Do you, Derek Christopher Shepherd, take thee, Addison Adrienne Forbes Montgomery, as your beloved wife? In sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

Derek looked Addison in her teary eyes, and declared, "I do." in a firm and steady voice that was not at all what he was feeling.

The priest turned to Addison and asked the same of her. Addison had looked at Derek, and at that moment, he knew that his eyes were full of tears too. "I do," Addison confirmed, in an unwavering voice filled with confidence.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Derek couldn't take it any longer. He let the tears flow freely, and he knew Addison was doing the same. He grabbed her waist and pulled her toward him, and they kissed. Derek could feel the tears on the corner of her mouth, could taste the salty bitterness. He knew, at that moment, he would always remember this kiss that they shared. He never knew how long they kissed; all he knew was that he was totally and completely in love with Addison Shepherd.


	3. Chapter 3

"You're so beautiful."

They were lying in bed, in a hotel in the Bahamas. Paradise. It was truly paradise, what with the gorgeous beaches, breathtaking views, and Addie next to him. She was his to treasure forever, and he couldn't seem to grasp that fact. He was too incredulous to believe that he scored such a beauty..._Ah, god, there I go again. __You sap. Just shut up, there's obviously no words to describe her, so just take in the sight of her__._

Addison giggled. "I love you," she said, placing a soft kiss on Derek's lips. She kissed him again, and again, and then again. Suddenly the soft kisses began to become deeper, more passionate. Soon they seemed to be going full force, crushing each other's lips, smothering the other with passion and desire. Derek was overcome by the moment, and reaching for the bottom of Addison's shirt, began to play with it. His hands were shaking too much for him to properly take it off.

"Here, darling, let me help," Addison crooned.

In an instant her shirt was off, exposing a lacy black bra. She seemed to tear Derek's shirt off in a second, as if she were a pro. Derek admired her skill; it was a definite turn on. Before he could fathom what was going on, his pants and boxers were off, and he found himself quickly slipping Addison's panties off. In a flash, they were both naked.

"Oh. Fuck."

Derek could barely believe it. _What a fucking goddess,_ he thought with pride. _Holy shit._

Addison let out a low, sexy laugh. "I might say the same."

Derek couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed her head with both his hands and kissed her as hard as he could. Then he proceeded with soft kisses all the way down her body. Her neck, her chest, her thighs, he made sure to cover every sweet inch of her body. Addison was moaning with pleasure. Then she proceeded to do the exact same to him. _This is heaven. Absolute heaven._

It was then he knew it was time. Rolling over, he was now on top of her. He carefully spread her legs apart, while Addison smiled knowingly at him. She nodded, and said in a sensual tone, "Give yourself over to absolute pleasure."

And did he ever. There were no words to describe the experience. It was hot and fast, something neither of them had ever experienced before. However, Derek firmly believed that both of them would soon become pros at it.

After it was over, Derek, overcome with drowsiness, found himself with his arms around Addie's waist, while hers were around her neck. "That was...ahh...incredible... uhm...yeah. Damn."

Addie laughed softly, and Derek could tell that she was tired as well. "I agree." Then, in a serious tone, she added, "I love you, Derek. I always will. And I will remember this moment forever."

Derek beamed. "I will too, Addie, I will too. Remember the song I wrote you in med school?"

Addison giggled. "How could I ever forget?"

Soon they drifted off to sleep, with Derek stroking Addison's hair, softly singing her song.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **So I hope you're all liking the story so far. Seeing as how this is my first fic, bear with me, be patient, good things will come eventually, and all that shiz. Reviews are loverly=)

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, all characters belong to Shonda Rhimes.

* * *

"Ah, there they are!"

Derek and Addison entered Joe's Bar and were met with a flurry of colors and sounds. They had been married for about a month or two, and this was the first night they had off together. At work, they made all the efforts they could to eat lunch together and spend some quality time in the on-call room. However, the demanding work and the mindset that a doctor's job is never done prohibited any chance of a real date.

"Congrats, guys," Joe smiled. In the back of the bar he had hung a large banner that read "Congratulations Derek and Addison!" with wedding bells on it. "Drinks are on me tonight."

"Thanks Joe," Derek replied, clapping a hand on Joe's back, while Addison smiled and thanked him as well.

"Addison! Shepherd!" Burke called, waving the couple over. "Real congratulations are in order," he said, handing Derek a glass of scotch and Addison a cosmopolitan.

"Why thank you Preston!" Addison took the drink gratefully and managed to down it pretty fast.

"Cheers, Burke," Derek said, also drinking his quickly. "Refills!"

"What am I, your servant?" Out of nowhere, Sloan appeared with more drinks, a huge grin on his face. "It's not a party without me!"

Everyone laughed and started to drink some more, talking and reminiscing. "My god, it's like the wedding reception all over again," Derek remarked, amidst all the laughter.

"I wanna dance!" Addison suddenly exclaimed. "I love this song. Derek, come dance with me!"

"I don't think so Addie, I've never been much of a dancer..."

Addison shrugged. "Suit yourself."

She got up and started dancing wildly to the fast-paced rhythm of the music. Yet somehow, she still managed to look graceful and goddess-like in the process. Her fiery red hair whipped and fell perfectly around her shoulders, framing her beautiful face. Her grey-green eyes were sparkling, and she was smiling at Derek as she danced, beckoning him over.

Suddenly, the music changed, and a slow song came on. Joe pulled out a microphone and said, "Let's give it up for the newlywed couple, Derek and Addison Shepherd!"

Feeling slightly dizzy, Derek felt himself being pushed by Mark into Addison's arms. He wrapped her into an embrace, and their eyes locked together.

_Beautiful dawn, lights up the shore for me..._

Everyone was clapping and watching them dance together on the floor. Addison rested her head on his shoulder, and Derek did the same. _I could stay like this forever, _Derek thought, closing his eyes.

_Beautiful dawn, you're just blowing my mind again..._

With that, Derek pulled Addison in for a dramatic dip, and kissed her. Numerous comments of "Oh how cute!" and "Aww!" could be heard all around the bar.

_Promise me tomorrow starts with you getting high, running wild among all the stars above..._

As the song ended, everyone began clapping and cheering for them. _I am the luckiest man in the world, _Derek thought, seeing Addison's glowing face.

He was so happy he didn't even notice the woman sitting in the corner of the bar, a shot in her hand, gazing longingly at him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Behold, the chapter in which I introduce Meredith Grey. Yes, I know, it's gonna get interesting. By the way, I really like reviews...

**Disclaimer: **Shonda Rhimes owns it all.

* * *

It was a little over half a year after their wedding. Derek had thought the past six months with Addie had been great. They rarely fought, and when they did, it was over trivial things that were unimportant. They hadn't gotten to spend as much time together as they would have liked to; their jobs separated them. Every time Derek saw his wife in the hospital, his heart would skip a beat, and they would acknowledge each other warmly. Every free night together they would go to Joe's, or a nice restaurant for dinner. These special moments were rare, as both their schedules frequently conflicted the other's.

It was just a normal day at Seattle Grace. Derek was doing charts at a desk when she came up to him.

"Dr. Shepherd, hi, I uh—I, I am, uh, assigned to you for the day," Meredith Grey stuttered.

Derek looked up at her. Meredith was one of the new interns who had just started working at Seattle Grace a few months ago. He had worked with her a few times before, and had no complaints. He had heard she was a very promising surgeon in the making, but he could not decide that for himself, as he didn't know her very well.

"Hi," he replied absentmindedly, looking down at the charts again and making his final notes. "Round on all these, then report back to me after you've finished," he said, thrusting a pile of patient binders at her.

"Uhm, uh, all right, see you later Dr. Shepherd," Meredith said, awkwardly carrying the pile of binders out of the office and scurrying away.

"Interns these days," Addison shook her head, entering the room and handing Derek a cup of coffee. "Here's an early morning pick-me-up," she said, planting a quick kiss on Derek's lips. "I won't be home tonight, I have a surgery that's expected to go pretty late, so don't wait up for me."

"But Addie, that's your third late surgery this week! We were supposed to go out to dinner tonight," Derek reminded her.

"I'm sorry, Derek, I know," Addison replied, looking truly repentant. "We'll do something special at the end of the week, all right?"

"Yeah," Derek sighed, as Addison walked out of the room. He put his head in his hands. The life of a surgeon was hard enough. Being married to another surgeon was even harder.

* * *

The rest of the day flew by. Derek didn't see Addison at all, but he made himself busy, and he made sure to keep Meredith busy as well. He was sitting in the office, doing more charts, feeling overcome with drowsiness. He looked at the clock. Midnight. He stayed later than he needed to, in the hopes of seeing Addison, but no such luck. He began to gather his things when a timid voice came from behind him.

"Dr. Shepherd, is there anything else I can do for you?" Meredith inquired, entering the room.

"Oh, no, Dr. Grey, you're finished. Good night," he said bluntly, turning to leave.

"Weren't you supposed to go out with Addison tonight?" Derek barely heard her; perhaps she had been speaking more to herself than to him.

He turned around and looked her square in the eye; she seemed to shrink back under his gaze. "Yes. How did you know that?"

"I, uh, I, well, I just, uhm, kind of assumed since you two spend every free moment together, and yeah, so, uh huh," Meredith stuttered.

Derek's tone turned accusatory. "You were eavesdropping on us this morning, weren't you? How come? You were supposed to be doing your rounds!"

The look on Meredith's face was one of pure guilt. "I, uh, couldn't help but overhear...I'm sorry Dr. Shepherd. But I really do see you two at Joe's a lot too."

"So you're a frequent customer at Joe's too?" Derek asked, his tone lightening a bit. "I've never seen you there."

"I go. A lot. I was there that night when Joe had that thing for you. With the song," she trailed off quietly.

Derek was confused. "Oh, back a few months ago? Oh yeah, that. Huh. Yeah I didn't see you there that night."

Meredith shrugged. "I was there. It was very...nice," she finished lamely. "I was probably sitting at the bar. Or in a corner. Doing shots. I like shots."

Derek suppressed a laugh; was she this awkward around patients? He decided he didn't really want to know.

"So...yeah. Uhm, good night, Dr. Shepherd," Meredith finished, and hurried out of the room.

Derek was now alone. He gathered up his things, and without another thought to the nervous intern, walked out of the room, to go home and wait for his wife.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Kind of a filler chapter. Ah well, enjoy it anyway. And review, por favor.

**Disclaimer: **Shonda Rhimes owns it all.

* * *

It was another normal day. Derek walked into Seattle Grace with Addison on his arm, as he usually did. They were laughing and making small talk, with Addison leaning on his shoulder, close to Derek's face. Her coconut shampoo made her hair smell so good. God, he missed her. Both of them had been extremely busy at work, and their time together was more limited than it had ever been. It was nearing Thanksgiving, and Derek and Addison had promised each other they would take an extended weekend together.

"Derek." The deep voice interrupted the couple, and they both turned around to see the Chief standing behind them.

"Morning, Richard," Addison said politely.

"Hi, Addie," the Chief replied, nodding in acknowledgment. "Derek, can I see you in my office for a minute?"

Addison looked at him, puzzled. _What the hell? Derek _thought. _I haven't done anything wr- oh FUCK. He totally knows I called Addie up for some unnecessary consults just so I could see her. Distracting her from work..._

Returning Addison's confused look, he lightly touched her arm as he followed the Chief to his office. Once they were both seated, Richard began to talk.

"So. You've been working with Meredith Grey recently, haven't you?"

"Yes, I have," Derek nodded, confused.

"How has she been doing?"

Derek had to think about this. To be honest, he never really paid her that much attention. She had been faithful in doing all he had asked of her, running labs and doing scut work. Whenever he asked a question about a patient, she had known most of the answers.

"Good. She's good. She'll be a talented surgeon."

"I know." Richard leaned forward in his chair. "Derek, I'm assigning her to you full time."

"I don't get it," Derek said, puzzled.

"Well, she's the most promising new intern, aside from Yang. You're an extremely skilled surgeon, and I know you have a lot to teach. So teach her," Richard said.

"Well, if you insist, Chief, I-"

"She's actually requested to be on your service, you know. She told me she's interested in neurosurgery as her specialty."

This was certainly news to Derek. He was confused. As interns, it was strongly encouraged that they be placed with numerous residents and attendings with different specialties. This was so they could decide for themselves which areas were of preference to them. He was perplexed as to why the Chief would assign her to him full-time. Then he remembered that Meredith was like a daughter to him. Whatever the Chief's pseudo-daughter wanted, his pseudo-daughter got.

Meredith had certainly shown enthusiasm with the job, but wasn't constantly harassing Derek to be placed in every surgery he did, like Yang was with cardio. He wondered what her ulterior motives were. He shook his head. Ulterior motives? What the hell was he thinking? Maybe he just wasn't paying enough attention to her, and she really was interested in neuro.

"Uhm, all right. Sure. I'll be happy to teach her," Derek said with a smile.

"Excellent. Good day, Derek," Richard dismissed him.

As Derek was walking out of the Chief's office, Meredith came up to him. "Dr. Shepherd, hi, uhm, what can I, uh, do for you this morning?"

"Well, it looks like you're my permanent intern now. So, you can start by bringing me coffee. Double-shot mocha latte. Then round on patients and do their charts. Then report back to me and maybe I'll have something for you to do. Get going."

Meredith scurried away in the direction of the coffee cart. Derek chuckled. Then he felt a light touch on his shoulder.

"Well well well, slave driver Shepherd. I must admit, the bossiness turns me on," Addison said with a laugh.

Derek grinned, happy to see his wife. "Richard assigned her to me permanently. Hey, I might as well have fun with it, right?"

Addison smiled. "That's Grey, right? I heard she's promising."

"I suppose so. I haven't been paying much attention. I've been too busy thinking about you," Derek replied, smiling mischievously.

Addison playfully punched him. "You devil," she said, and kissed him softly on the lips. They were then interrupted, much to Derek's dismay, by Meredith returning with the coffee.

"Uh, sorry, Dr. Shepherd, here's your coffee. And uh, hi, Dr...Shepherd," Meredith trailed off.

Addison smiled in recognition. "Hello. Derek, I'll see you at lunch, all right?" She kissed him again before walking away.

Meredith watched her retreating figure, then looked at Derek. "Ooh, lunch plans!"

Derek gave her a confused look, and noticed her tense up. "Get to work, Dr. Grey. Now."

Grabbing a handful of charts, she hurried away. Derek watched her leave the room, a perplexed look on his face. Why was she always so interested in what he and Addison did together?


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **Another semi-filler chapter. I actually am getting somewhere though, I promise! Hint: remember in the crossover with Private Practice when Addison and Derek were in surgery together, and they were reminiscing over a past Thanksgiving? Yup. That's all I'm saying. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, and keep them coming!

**Disclaimer: **Shonda Rhimes owns it all.

* * *

Derek looked around the office in exasperation. It was a few days before Thanksgiving, and he was getting ready to go home, to finally spend some much-needed quality time with his wife. He continued looking around the room. Where was she? He needed some last-minute labs before he could return home. _I swear to God, when she gets back, I'm gonna wring her-_

"Dr. Shepherd!" Meredith cried, running into the room. "I-have...your...labs," she panted, out of breath.

Derek examined her. She had been his intern for the past two weeks. He had started paying a lot more attention to her, and had come to realize some things. For starters, he was under the impression that he made her very nervous. The stuttering when she was talking to him had mostly disappeared, but every once in a while, it would surface again. Also, whenever he was doing charts and would look up to see what she was doing, she would look away pointedly, and Derek could swear she was blushing. He tried to be compassionate to her; after all, she was just trying to learn. However, he would not let her silly little schoolgirl crush get in the way of teaching her. She was smart, and he would not let this immature little thing get in the way of expanding her intelligence.

"Thank you," he said, taking the labs. "Well Dr. Grey, that's all. Have a nice Thanksgiving."

"You too. Are you and Addison, uh, doing anything special?"

Ah, that was the other thing. She always asked about his and Addison's plans. It irked him beyond belief.

"Yes, we're going over my mother's house. And then we're taking an extended weekend off together. What are you doing?" he asked, uninterested but wanting to change the subject.

"Oh. It's just me and George and Izzie and Alex and Cristina at the house. Izzie's cooking, Alex and Cristina are bringing the alcohol, George is hunting the turkey and I...I'm just kinda...there."

Derek was about to say something when Addison walked in, briefcase in hand. "Ready to go?" she asked Derek.

Derek smiled, relieved at his wife's rescue. "Yeah. Let's go."

Addison looked at Meredith. "Have a nice Thanksgiving, Grey," she said with a smile.

Meredith looked taken aback. "Uh, you too, Dr. Shepherd."

Addison slipped her arm under Derek's, and the two of them walked out together, with Meredith watching them.

"How's she doing, Derek?" Addison asked him.

"Richard was right. She is promising." And he left it at that. He didn't really want to tell her that Meredith had an obvious crush on him. Not that it mattered, since Derek had eyes only for Addison. But he still didn't want to tell her.

Addison leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm glad we're spending the whole weekend together. I've missed you."

"Me too, Addie," Derek said truthfully. Lately he had felt so distant from her. Whenever he got home late, she was usually sleeping, and vice versa. They rarely had lunch together anymore, and hadn't been to Joe's in forever. His main concern was now focused on teaching Meredith. Meredith...she seemed so sad and lonely. But she had friends. But she seemed like she needed something more...

Derek shook his head. Erasing all thoughts of Meredith from his mind, he walked out of Seattle Grace with his wife by his side to enjoy the weekend together.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **All right, here it is, drum roll please...the infamous hot dog Thanksgiving! It was briefly mentioned by Addison in the first crossover during surgery with Derek. So I attempted to elaborate on the details using my creative imagination, heheh. So enjoy, and remember to review!

**Disclaimer: **Shonda Rhimes still owns it all.

* * *

"What?" Derek screamed into the phone. He couldn't believe it. It was the day before Thanksgiving, and NOW his mother decides to break her wrist? Of course.

"That's right, dear. It was just a fall down the stairs, not a big deal." Right. "Anyway, now I don't know what to do about tomorrow. Everyone planned on coming here, and I can't cook."

Derek sighed. He should probably ask Addie about this...ah well. She'd forgive him later. "Why doesn't everyone just come here? Addison and I can cook."

He knew damn well she'd never cooked a turkey before in her life. Shit. He'd have to make it up to her somehow, give her special favors...and he knew just how. That night. He grinned as his mother told him that was a fabulous idea, and that everyone would be over the next day.

"Who was that?" Addison inquired as Derek hung up the phone.

"Ah...my mother. She broke her wrist...and...I kind of invited everyone...over...here. Tomorrow."

Addison looked stunned. "Derek. You know damn well I've never cooked a turkey before in my life! What the hell were you thinking? What the fuck am I supposed to do? And I also know damn well that your mother hates me! I agreed to go to her house since I knew it'd make you happy, but oh god, her here? With everyone else? What the hell!"

"Addie," Derek said calmly, taking her hand, "it'll be all right. Calm down. It'll all be fine. We can cook everything. We have the whole day. I mean, how hard can it be?"

* * *

"Hello, Derek, my darling! How are you?" Derek's mother, Rose, leaned in for a kiss as she stepped inside the Shepherd home. It was Thanksgiving Day, and Derek was exhausted. He and Addison had spent the whole day yesterday cleaning and making all the food. Hours had been spent on Google searching for tips on how to make the perfect turkey. He knew Addie had tried really hard to make it perfect, especially since she wanted to impress her mother-in-law.

"Addison," Rose greeted her with a curt nod. Derek sighed. His mother didn't exactly hate Addison, per se, she just didn't approve of her. He didn't know why; Addie had never done anything to her.

"Hello, Rose," Addison replied. Derek could tell she was trying extra hard to be polite. "Won't you come in? I'll take your coat. Sit anywhere you like."

Naturally, Rose took a seat at the head of the table. Derek sat down next to her, and Addison took the spot next to him.

"Mom," Derek whispered. "Why is it that you're always the last one to arrive anywhere?"

"It's called making a grand entrance, darling," Rose replied with a smile.

Derek wasn't surprised. He loved his mother, but she did have her...quirks. "Uh, attention everyone," he said, clinking a fork against his wineglass. "Thank you all for coming today. And I'd just like to say that Addison spent a lot of time in getting everything ready so I'd like us all to be grateful for that. So, uh, let's dig in."

As he sat down, Derek heard a round of applause begin. He looked around the table and saw his sisters Nancy and Amelia, who were smiling fondly at Addison. Both of them had always liked her. Derek squeezed Addison's hand, who looked quite pleased with herself.

Everything appeared to be fine at first, but it was later during dinner when it happened. Everyone was making small talk and laughing, and everything seemed to be going well. Rose was even making polite conversation with Addison, although Derek noticed her distance. He commended Addison for pretending not to notice his mother's coldness. Suddenly, Derek sawr Nancy bolt out of the dining room to the first floor bathroom. He chased after her, Addison and Rose following suit. A few other family members had gotten up out of their chairs and were now peering towards the bathroom as well.

Nancy was bent over the toilet, throwing up. "No, no, I'm fine," she told Derek, when he questioned her what was wrong. "I-maybe it's just the flu, and with my luck I caught it on Thanksgiving. Seriously, just go back to dinner."

"You don't look so good, dear," Rose said, touching her daughter's face. "You look so pale."

"Mother, don't worry. I'm fine. I can take care of myself," Nancy said indignantly.

Rose stepped back. "Fine. All right everyone, let's just return to our meal."

At the slight mention of food, Nancy proceeded to throw up again. "Seriously, don't worry," she said to everyone gawking at her. "Go eat."

Everyone that was watching hastily went back to the dining room after more urging from both Nancy and Rose. "Derek," Nancy whispered, gesturing for him to stay behind.

"Nance, are you ok? Were you sick before today? Or did you just start feeling sick like now?" Derek asked.

"Derek, listen. The turkey was pink, but I still ate it...I think I might have food poisoning."

Rose, who had stayed behind undetected to eavesdrop, gasped. "Food poisoning! Oh my god! Food poisoning!"

"Mom! Shut UP!" Derek yelled. His mother was practically shouting the news all through the house.

"Oh my god! The turkey! I KNEW it! It was all her! She's trying to kill everyone!" Rose was frantic.

Derek looked over at Addison, who rushed over at the sound of Rose's screaming. She looked pissed as hell. _Shit, _Derek thought, _is there gonna be hell to pay later or what._

Some of the Shepherd family was trying to calm Rose down, others were giving Addison sympathetic glances, and everyone else looked confused.

"Hey!" Derek yelled. It was loud enough for everyone to shut up, stop what they were doing, and stare at him. "Who wants hot dogs?"


End file.
